Punisher #22

Part four of "Up is Down and Black is White" arrives with a cover by Tim Bradstreet that captures Frank Castle at his most grimly composed — battered, arms crossed, skull emblem on his chest, standing in a doorway while bodies lie scattered in the room behind him. It's a quietly chilling image, the kind of stillness that follows a storm, and Bradstreet renders Castle's scarred face with a photorealistic intensity that suits the MAX line perfectly. Garth Ennis, Leandro Fernández, and Scott Hanna are on hand for the story, making this 2005 issue a strong entry in one of the more unflinching runs the character has ever received.